Magnetic Island ("Maggie" to her friends) is justifiably popular. Over half of this mountainous island’s 52 sq km is national park, with cycling, scenic walks and abundant wildlife, including koalas and rock wallabies. A 30-minute boat ride from Townsville, the island is known for its gorgeous beaches and bays, lively dining options and a laid-back attitude that you can't help but adopt when arriving.
Island Walks
Magnetic Island has some excellent bushwalks, especially in the northeast, where trails from Horseshoe Bay connect isolated beaches and coves such as Balding Bay, Radical Bay and Florence Bay. One of the island's most popular trails is the Forts Walk (2.8km, 1½ hours return). The remains of the fortifications here were built during WWII to protect Townsville from naval attack. Keep your eyes peeled; sightings of wild koalas snoozing in the trees are almost guaranteed.
Stroll through the Butterfly Walk, a 100m walk through a migratory resting place for blue tiger butterflies. You'll need to walk slowly and quietly to avoid disturbing the hibernating butterflies. It's best visited between April and July.
In Picnic Bay, the Hawkings Point Track (1.2km return, trailhead at the end of Picnic St) takes you up to a lookout with views of the east coast. Serious walkers can tackle the easy but long 16km return walk to West Point from Picnic Bay. Follow a rugged dirt road to access the isolated west-coast beaches and tidal wetlands.
Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay is the largest bay on the island, named for its 3km-long horseshoe-shaped beach. With a strip of restaurants overlooking the beach and a stinger net (from November to May), it's a popular spot to watch the sunset or swim. A short walk from the shore along the main road is Bounce Magnetic Island (staybounce.com/locations/magnetic-island; tours from $50), which houses a koala and wildlife park. Daily park tours are from 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm, and free daily lorikeet feeding takes place at 4.15pm near the bar.
Picnic Bay
Picnic Bay is one of the most low-key spots on the island, dominated by a community of friendly locals. There's a stinger net (from November to May) and the swimming is superb. At low tide from the beach, scout the wreck of George Rennie. The little village is a great spot for a nice meal or to enjoy a few brews at the bay's pub or brewery. There's also a historic jetty, if you'd like to throw in a line or simply contemplate the sea.
Arcadia Village
Only five minutes' drive from the Nelly Bay ferry terminal lies Arcadia, home of a popular hotel pub and two of the island's prized bays. Geoffrey Bay is home to allied rock wallabies, best viewed on Bremner Point, a short walk from the village. Although wild, they come out like clockwork at around 5pm. This bay is also the starting point for the Geoffrey Bay Snorkel Trail, with four numbered surface floats to outline the trail. Coral, fish and clams are on display down below, and the Moltke shipwreck can be seen on a clear day. For strong swimmers, venture slightly off the trail to see a WWII airplane propeller and engine block, the only remains from a 1943 crash. Hire snorkel gear from Pleasure Divers (pleasuredivers.com.au; per day from $30) in Arcadia.
Just over the headland of Geoffrey Bay lies Alma Bay, a popular place for swimmers due to its year-round lifeguard patrols and calm waters. The family-friendly spot is often regarded as one of Queensland's best beaches.
Getting Around Maggie
Translink (Kinetic) runs local bus services around the island, but hiring open-top vehicles or scooters is a popular way to get around. With one main road linking Horseshoe Bay and Picnic Bay (end-to-end it's a 20-minute drive), it's easy to zip around. Most hire vehicles must stay on or near the main road – hire a 4WD if you want to head off-road to West Point.
